The early vote now also enables Finland to join NATO independently.
(Photo: IMAGO/Lehtikuva)
Finland and Sweden actually wanted to join NATO “hand in hand”. In May they jointly applied for membership of the military alliance. Both Scandinavian countries coordinated closely in advance and wanted to jointly give up their decades of non-alignment. But unlike Helsinki, Stockholm has stumbled since then, and according to the Turkish interpretation, did not meet the conditions of a trilateral NATO agreement. Now Finland is advancing.
In Helsinki, parliament discussed a proposed law for NATO membership on Tuesday, and the foreign affairs committee had expressly recommended its adoption in advance. But the two left-wing parliamentarians Markus Mustajärvi and Johannes Yrttiaho introduced an alternative proposal.
The Finnish left-wing party Vasemmistoliitto has always refused to join the military alliance and only changed its position after the start of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine. Only timidly, as it now shows.
Vote on NATO membership on Wednesday
Read on now
Get access to this and every other article in the
Web and in our app free of charge for 4 weeks.
Further
Read on now
Get access to this and every other article in the
Web and in our app — 4 weeks for €1.
Further